Buon Ricordo Ph: 9360 6729 ; 108 Boundary St, PADDINGTON 2021 www.buonricordo.com.au Italian (Neapolitan, $$$, *** for Food & Ambience Open Fri-Sat noon-3pm Tue-Sat 6pm-10.45pm, Closed All public holidays; Licensed; AE DC MC V EFT; Kids Welcome Chef Armando Percuoco & Darren Taylor (21-9-11) Owner Armando Percuoco & Gemma Cunningham (18-9-10)

Mietta's Review
Buon Ricordo means good memory and you will certainly have one after you leave this comfortable place. All sorts are here - foodies, families, neighbourhood types, suits - and we can see why: first class service, a comfortable room and excellent Italian food. For many years the menu didn't changed much, but with the arrival of the new chef,Massimo Bianchi, a new direction has evolved. One of the better Italian wine lists in town. Founded in 1987 it's still one of Sydney's best and is highly recommended.

Other published opinions

Sydney Morning Herald Food Food Guide 2012 Score: 15.5/20

Gourmet Traveller 2012 Australian Restaurant Guide Score: Two Stars "There's a sense of tradition to this Sydney institution. Perhaps it's the well-heeled patrons, who seem at home in the clubby surrounds. Or the refined and extremely capable service, some of this city's best"

The Australian John Lethlean, 27-08-2010 Score: 1.5/5 "'The Ciprianis ... made, a long while back, a remarkable discovery: that rich international f---tards like to hang out with each other and eat marginally decent Italian food - and are willing to pay outrageous amounts of money for the privilege. Better yet, all the people who want to look like they, too, are rich international f---tards will want to get in on the action as well.' The Cipriani model is not confined to the Northern Hemisphere. Buon Ricordo, in Sydney's Paddington, has a reputation for attracting power and wealth - the serious players of the city and those who've hung on to enough family money that they're simply not fussed about paying over the odds for everything. ... So here's a small confession that any paid critic will recognise: before pressing 'send' on any review that might be interpreted as negative, you ask yourself: 'Is this a bridge burner? Will I ever be able to go back?' Sometimes the introspection leads to a bit of subtle editing; usually, it helps clarify the advice. But in the case of Buon Ricordo, and any restaurant taking such liberties with its customers in terms of value-for-money, burn the bridges. There will be no next time: life's way too short. Let the rich eat differently. Stay poor, eat better."

The Australian John Lethlean, 27-08-2010 Score: 1.5/5 "There are boldly coloured canvases with a floral theme; a window through to the kitchen; terracotta pavers; various Italian collectible pasta plates on the wall. And when the ground floor is full, you climb the stairs to a dining room that, while still cluttered with memorabilia and art, has had a more modern makeover. What I don't get is a kind of unemotional, technical service approach that serves only to remind that newer, hungrier restaurants are out there - everywhere - working their bags off to provide better food and service at significantly lower prices"
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Sydney Morning Herald Good Food Guide 2011 Score: 16.5/20, Two Hats ""

The Australian John Lethlean, 27-08-2010 "the quirky, unthemed interiors of this rather old-school restaurant reflect layers of character acquired over the years rather than a brief to a designer (although the dining-chair upholstery should go back to the Von Trapp family museum immediately). There are boldly coloured canvases with a floral theme; a window through to the kitchen; terracotta pavers; various Italian collectible pasta plates on the wall. And when the ground floor is full, you climb the stairs to a dining room that, while still cluttered with memorabilia and art, has had a more modern makeover."

Gourmet Traveller 2011 Australian Restaurant Guide Score: ** "Here's the secret to getting the most from Buon Ricordo: though many of the well-heeled locals who treat this place as a clubhouse are happy to go with the standard a la carte, the smart thing is to ask your waiter to help you construct a sort of mini-degustation"

Sydney Morning Herald Good Food Guide 2010 Score: 16.5/20

Gourmet Traveller 2010 Australian Restaurant Guide Score: ** "The old-school decor has its fans, but the old-world service at this adored Italian institution is what many of its regulars cross town for. Wait-staff present a polished yet accommodating front and the sommelier proves an excellent guide to the list of Italian reds, from Piemontese barolo to Pugliese primitivo"

Sydney Eats 2009 "Robust flavours and simple presentation shine in this Tuscan corner of Paddington. But don't expect Tuscan from the kitchen's offerings to the Bologna plates adorning the walls and the generous padded tapestry chairs hugging the equally generous white-clothed tables"

Sydney Morning Herald Good Food Guide 2009 Score: 16.5/20

Gourmet Traveller 2009 Australian Restaurant Guide Score: ** "You can spot the regulars, legion and loyal, at this landmark. They're the ones ordering with their menus closed, bantering with the dapper waiters and sommeliers, constructing leisurely meals of multiple entrees, shared main courses and big-name Italian vintages"

Sydney Morning Herald Good Food Guide 2008 Score: 16/20

Gourmet Traveller 2008 Australian Restaurant Guide "Don't miss the timballo. A reconstruction of the 18th-century Neapolitan feast dish, this plinth of pasta tubes, stuffed with quail eggs, pork and tomat sauce, exemplifies the marriage of tradition and bravura that makes this grandest of Sydney Italian restaurants great"

Sydney Eats 2008 "Owner Armando Percuoco and young Roman-born chef Massimo Bianchi continue to share the kitchen at this Paddo perennial, the quiet and thoughtful Massimo in the kitchen and the ebullient Armando out front in the comfortable rooms, glad-handing his army of faithful customers"

Sydney Morning Herald Good Food Guide 2007 Score: 16/20

Gourmet Traveller 2007 Restaurant Guide Score: ** "It's the hospitality and passion of chef/host Armando Percuoco that has always energised this simple room of double-clothed tables and dark wooden chairs, as he does the rounds, kissing regulars, welcoming newcomers and enthusiastically describing new dishes and specials."

Sydney Morning Herald Good Living Eat Out Mathew Evans

Sydney Morning Herald Good Food Guide 2006

Gourmet Traveller 2006 Australian Restaurant Guide *** ""It just feels good walking in there. They always make you feel welcome and wanted. It's like going to a friend's place to dine." So says a loyal patron ofthis landmark Paddington restaurant, expressing a view shared by legions of discerning diners."

Sydney Eats 2006 "It's the clientele and their unconditional love for Armando Percuoco and his cosy restaurant that make the atmosphere here so special. It has the feel of a large family outing without the fights"

SBS Eating Guide to Sydney 2005 "Oft-cited as a standout Italian eatery, Buon Ricordo is gradually becoming an institution, not the least due to the charming, ever-present, exuberant owner/chef Armando Percuoco, who presides nightly over his kitchen and dining room."

Sydney Morning Herald Good Food Guide 2005

Gourmet Traveller Australian Restaurant Guide 2005 *** Good Wine List "There are a handful of reasons that this upmarket Paddington trattoria is a perennial favourite with regulars. Its reassuring rustic decor - Majolica plates over the fireplace, a well-worn ochre tiled floor and starched white tablecloths - sets the scene for some seriously reliable Italian dining. Armando Percuoco and his gracious staff are well-versed in the restaurant arts and can guide menu-waverers to the right dish or Italian wine in a flash of evocative description."

Sydney Eats 2005 "Armando Percuoco's multi-award-winning establishment is a local favourite with an international reputation. The ebullient Percuoco (even his name sounds like he was destined to cook) is a champion of the cucina povera of his family's Neapolitan origins; some gourmands never recover from their first taste of his signature fettuccine al tartufovo (cream sauce with a lightly fried, truffle-infused egg)."

Sydney Morning Herald GFG 2004, Score 17/20

Gournet Traveller Guide 2004-3 red stars for fine dining, excellent wine list, gracious and efficient staff, classical italian, carefully selected wine list- details updated